Yimo was still inside the cramped locker, his head lowered as before.

Now, though, he’d lifted his head. Beneath his messy fringe, a pair of brownish eyes finally came into view, shining with a dazzling light. They were far more brilliant than before, when they’d seemed so lifeless.

Dusk stood right in front of him, less than thirty centimeters away.

At this distance, Yimo could clearly make out her well-proportioned features—even each long, delicate eyelash.

Below them was a pair of eyes full of confusion and anger, glinting with an eerie red light.

The cleaver that had already killed several people hovered less than ten centimeters above Yimo’s head.

And yet Dusk couldn’t cross that final ten centimeters and bring it down. She could only stare at Yimo, frozen in place.

Yimo didn’t leave the locker either. He sat inside, and after laughing loudly, suddenly covered his forehead and murmured, “What a crazy game.”

“Even I’ve been affected by you all. I’m starting to lose it…”

After a moment, he shook his head. “No.”

“Maybe I was the most abnormal one from the very beginning.”

A moment later, the page for the SSR card Alter-Personality Girlfriend appeared in the empty space in front of Yimo.

Unlike before, all the mosaic blur on the card had completely disappeared.

The words “Not Unlocked” that had been on the card were gone, too.

The most eye-catching part of the card’s profile page was a candid photo of Dusk.

She didn’t look crazed like before. In the same JK school uniform, she wore a slightly cool expression, with the aloof, don’t-come-near-me air of a mature woman. Calling her a goddess wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Beside it was a whole set of information.

Age, birthday, weight, measurements, and so on…

It had just about everything.

And the Alter-Personality value, which could change, had now reached over eighty percent.

Below the Alter-Personality value was the card’s ability.

『Boyfriend Privilege: Absolute Obedience.』

Beside it was a “(2/3),” along with a note that the card had to be unlocked before the ability could be activated.

Yimo had used it once—the moment Dusk brought the cleaver down just now.

He’d activated the card and made Dusk unable to move for ten minutes!

“Dusk, actually, once it was just you and me left, I’d already won.”

“The ability of the SSR+ card I drew activated when there were only the two of us left.”

“Just like I thought from the start, you probably had to admit you were my girlfriend for it to activate.”

“I’d been keeping an eye on you, hoping to confirm whether I could activate it. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to be alone with you.”

Yimo had tried to approach Dusk three times.

After they entered the game, the Solo Fan interrupted when Yimo tried to make eye contact with her.

When Yimo ran out of the room and tried to head in the direction Dusk had gone, the Solo Fan interrupted him again.

And when only three people were left, the Solo Fan interrupted him once more.

All his attempts had failed. But by pure coincidence, Dusk had admitted it herself, in a teasing tone.

“The Solo Fan…”

“I knew he’d been up to no good from the very start.”

Thinking of the Solo Fan, Yimo’s mood sank. He glanced at the jade pendant still clenched tightly in his hand, then put it in his pocket.

“But that didn’t stop me from slowly learning about the game in a completely unfamiliar place.”

“Honestly… I got along pretty well with him.”

“His acting was just too awful. He was always letting his real feelings show.”

“When he asked for the Exorcism Talisman, I guessed his card would probably need it, so I deliberately asked him about it.”

“You can’t fool anyone with acting like that.”

At that, Yimo closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile. “I can understand that he wanted to survive.”

“But only I knew that, in the round where three of us were left, I was the only one who absolutely wouldn’t die.”

“And, if I’m honest, I wanted him to die more than I wanted you to.”

“Because that was the only way I might be able to beat you in the end.”

“Heh… You were the one who killed him, but I was part of the reason, too.”

“The Exorcism Talisman was completely useless.”

“I guessed as much, but I didn’t tell him.”

“Just like he didn’t tell me he really had an SR card…”

After saying all that, Yimo raised his head and looked at Dusk without expression. “No one can make it out of this game alive.”

“The only one who can leave alive is a ghost.”

“A ghost that kills everyone.”

There was no madness in his gaze. Only a cold, numb lack of feeling.

And yet, it was as if he could see right through people.

He glanced at the countdown in the upper-right corner, thought for a moment, then activated Boyfriend Privilege again, allowing Dusk to speak.

“Why didn’t you use your card to order me around from the start?”

“Were you… playing with me?”

Compared to before, Dusk was surprisingly calm.

So calm that Yimo couldn’t help but admire the girl before him.

At her words, Yimo found her gaze dazzling—nothing like his own. He lowered his head and said, “No. I just didn’t want to kill you with my own hands.”

“Instead of facing you like this and ending the game by forcing you to stay still…”

“I just wanted to hide in a corner and cling to life.”

“I don’t know how many games you’ve taken part in, or how you got so good at swinging a blade.”

“But I’m not ready to do that.”

Dusk gave a cold laugh. “Heh. How hypocritical.”

“Then you can just leave. In less than three minutes, the game rules will kill me.”

Yimo shook his head. “I can imagine how agonizing these last three minutes must be, even for you, facing death all alone.”

“So I’ll stay here with you.”

“Until the game ends.”

Dusk’s expression shifted. She frowned and shouted angrily, “Are you looking down on me?”

“What gives you the right to look down on me?”

“I’ve taken part in nine games. I made it through every single one alone. I killed my way through them!”

“You’re nothing but a hypocrite who got lucky.”

“I won’t accept this!”

With less than two minutes left, even Dusk, who’d been so calm, grew agitated. She couldn’t steady herself anymore, and her eyes turned completely red.

Yimo watched her quietly and said with certainty, “No. You’re wrong.”

“I’m a con artist.”

“A super con artist who’s fooled tens of millions of people.”

“Sure, luck played a part. But I want you to know…”

“You didn’t lose to some ordinary person who survived on luck alone.”

“All your effort wasn’t for nothing!”

After Yimo finished speaking, less than a minute remained on the game’s countdown.

He stood up and embraced the girl in front of him.

It was a very gentle hug. He softly stroked her pink hair.

Dusk could tell he wasn’t trying to violate or humiliate her. It really was a warm, gentle embrace.

Nothing like it had ever appeared in her memories.

From the joy of victory to despair.

And now, that trace of kindness she’d never experienced before.

All of it…

She didn’t want any of it!!!

Clear tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks, soaking the sleeve over Yimo’s shoulder.

And suddenly, just like that.

Death didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

Actually, these death games were pretty exhausting, weren’t they?

“I see.”

“So that’s how it is… a super con artist…”

“Ha… Then losing to you isn’t so embarrassing.”

A choked sob. A strained laugh.

“Promise me you won’t lose to anyone else…”

Her voice trembled with tears, but there was relief in it, too.

Yimo hadn’t checked the system clock, but he knew the game would end in five seconds.

He leaned close to the ear beneath the girl’s pale pink hair and whispered, “Yeah.”

“I’ll remember.”

“My girlfriend for the duration of one game.”

At Yimo’s words, Dusk finally closed her eyes and relaxed completely, waiting for death to come.

『Ding! This game has ended.』

『The Killer faction player failed to complete the mission. Mission failed.』

『Punishment…』

I’m… going to die…

『Punishment failed. Under the effect of the SSR+ card, the girlfriend shares her boyfriend’s victory result. Game survival successful! The boyfriend’s victory points will be split between them.』

『Personal game evaluation: You even tried to kill the gorgeous girlfriend assigned to you. No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend in real life! Hmph, scumbag!』

？？？

Uh…!

Before Yimo could react, a cold, slightly unhinged voice sounded in his ear. “Heh. Whether it’s in real life or in the game…”

“I’ll find you and kill you!”

When Yimo raised his head, Dusk was no longer possessed by the Killer, and the cleaver had disappeared from her hand.

She was already standing some distance away. Her crimson eyes were cold, with a hint of sick obsession in them, and she watched him with a faint blush on her cheeks.

They probably couldn’t attack each other after the game ended.

Otherwise, she’d have butchered him without hesitation.

A moment ago, she’d seemed moved. Now she was shouting that she’d kill him.

That was one hell of a quick change…

Wouldn’t it be boring if things ended here?

The two of them stood in a classroom filled with the evening glow, both bathed in its blazing crimson light.

Yimo met Dusk’s gaze without flinching. The corner of his mouth lifted, and he said with confidence, “I’ll be waiting for you, my girlfriend.”

“Oh, right.”

“I’m not some super con artist. I’m just a weak, useless ordinary person.”

“I was lying to you just now~”

Before Dusk could say anything else in anger, Yimo finished speaking.

Then the two of them vanished.

『The Killer in the Mine』

『Game Over』